Monologs of a Water Tiger

Daily Archives: August 28, 2012

To be able to eat till one’s old age is to learn till one is old in age

To be able to eat till one dies is to learn till one dies.

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About this Rhyme/Proverb/Saying:~

This Hokkien Rhyme/Proverb/Saying sounds good to the ear and speaks a lot of truth. Truth that the Chinese believe in~ that education is but a lifelong learning process. Recognizing the importance of education, Chinese parents try to provide the best they could to educate their young as the reward is always certain.

The author/owner has compiled for record, a collection of early Hokkien sayings, proverbs, rhymes and ditties to capture the essence and spirit of his hoi polloi, a community originating from the southern province of Fujian, China where individuals climbed aboard bum boats, crossing the South China Sea to settle in faraway lands to escape the brewing civil unrest and a way out from hardship carrying along with them in their journey, nothing except their trademark ponytails and their beliefs, very much rooted in Confucianism. These proverbs and sayings has always been a guide and lesson to the many who has never been to school so as to help them steer well in the river of life and in a way, it seeks to retell their lifestyle way back then so that the younger generation can gain an insight and foothold to their origin..

She would specially ask for Bee Ko (a sweet sticky Chinese savory made of glutinous rice)

She talks so much till her throat dries

When she saw a glass of water she would quickly seize it

And once she broke a glass she was really mad!

She screams and shouts without any care!

She is old and a little senile

When others accuses her she vent her anger

When others say East(one thing), she would say West(another)

When others laugh with approval, she would do otherwise

A silly swine and also unwise!

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About this Rhyme:~

This Hokkien Rhyme is an entertaining mix of two languages English and Malay used intermittently with the Hokkien lingo but quite biased in nature as it pokes fun at the older generation in this case, an old auntie whom the locals like to call them “Mak Ee Po’s” ( purely a Hokkien Phrase) which literally means the same thing. Well, as age would have it, one could do things a little odd due to senility but calling them a silly swine and a little unwise is a little offensive.

The author/owner has compiled for record, a collection of early Hokkien sayings, proverbs, rhymes and ditties to capture the essence and spirit of his hoi polloi, a community originating from the southern province of Fujian, China where individuals climbed aboard bum boats, crossing the South China Sea to settle in faraway lands to escape the brewing civil unrest and a way out from hardship carrying along with them in their journey, nothing except their trademark ponytails and their beliefs, very much rooted in Confucianism. These proverbs and sayings has always been a guide and lesson to the many who has never been to school so as to help them steer well in the river of life and in a way, it seeks to retell their lifestyle way back then so that the younger generation can gain an insight and foothold to their origin..

fiveloaf

I am a child usurped into the vagaries of an enigmatic world. Amidst that humdrum, I found in quiet solitude, a whole new world that I can finally breathe in. A world where there is no distinction between heaven, earth and man- between what is, what is to come and what has been..

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Author/Owner: Kris Lee Since Nov 2009. Blogname: fiveloaf.wordpress.com. Unauthorised use and/or duplication of materials without express or written permission is strictly prohibited. All images and reading materials are strictly author/owner's own unless attributed.